Prior art microwave steam containers often include a microwave shielding material, such as metal, usually in the form of a separate metallic element that is visible to the user and removable from a part of the container. Being aware of the metallic components, however, users are often reluctant to place such items into a microwave oven, with the result that foodstuff in these microwave steam containers will not be cooked efficiently and in the manner intended by the microwave container manufacturer.
The prior art includes conventional stove top steamers that cook foodstuff by heating water in a lower container to create steam which cooks foodstuff present in a covered upper container. In such cases, the foodstuff is cooked essentially entirely with steam.
The prior art also includes microwave cooking containers that heat water in a lower container to create steam which cooks foodstuff in a covered upper container. In such cases, the foodstuff is cooked by a combination of steam and direct exposure to microwaves.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a microwave steam cooking container system which contains a microwave shielding element that is encapsulated and hidden within the microwave transmitting material of the container and a cover to allow for cooking of foodstuff essentially exclusively with steam.
It is another object of this invention to provide a microwave steam cooking container system which allows efficient stacked cooking of foodstuff.